Chelsea
Real Madrid issue categorical denial over Enzo Fernández interest
Real Madrid deny any attempt to sign Enzo Fernández, leaving Chelsea midfielder in limbo now unsure.
Real Madrid have issued a clear public denial after reports suggested they had held talks over Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández.
The club went further than a simple refutation, saying there has been no direct or indirect effort to sign the Argentina international and that there is no intention to pursue him this summer.
“In light of the reports and statements that have appeared in recent days regarding an alleged interest from Real Madrid CF in the player Enzo Fernández, the club wishes to state that it has not made any effort, either direct or indirect, to sign the aforementioned player and, likewise, has no intention of undertaking such an operation,” the club said in a statement.
“Real Madrid wishes to express its utmost respect for Enzo Fernández, a great footballer whose career and quality are widely known, as well as for Chelsea FC , a club with which it maintains an excellent institutional relationship.
“Precisely because of the respect that an entity like Chelsea FC deserves and because of the principles of institutional loyalty that have always governed the actions of Real Madrid, the club considers it necessary to categorically deny speculations that are unfounded and do not correspond to reality.
“Real Madrid regrets that, despite the clarity of the facts and the lack of any action on the part of the club, information continues to be disseminated that does not correspond to reality and that only contributes to generating confusion among fans and unnecessarily harming the entities and people involved.”
The statement complicates Fernández’s situation. He has not publicly damaged his relationship with Chelsea, but his obvious flirting and his failure to challenge his agent’s public comments have created friction. A move to Madrid had been presented as the likely resolution, but that option now appears closed.
If Los Blancos will not pursue Fernández, “something else needs to happen.” Options are limited. A reunion with Enzo Maresca at Manchester City is one of the few plausible alternatives, but City’s recent record-breaking acquisition of Elliot Anderson suggests an expensive move for Fernández is unlikely.
Fernández’s asking price is understood to stand at $160 million (£120 million), and he remains under contract with Chelsea for another six years. Chelsea have said they would be happy to keep him. Fernández, Chelsea’s vice-captain under Maresca, will also need to repair his relationship with supporters.
Real Madrid still want a new tempo-setting midfielder, and Fernández is one of several names under consideration. The club’s categorical denial over Fernández echoes an earlier denial about Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise, although that same level of public rejection was not applied to Olise, who is believed to remain high on the wish list of club president Florentino Pérez.
Chelsea
Morgan Rogers, Palmer and Alonso: How Chelsea May Shape Their New Attack
Alonso has a plan for Rogers, Palmer and Chelsea, but the exact shape remains the key question.
Chelsea’s move for Morgan Rogers has raised the same question many of their previous transfers did: what, exactly, is the long-term idea? Yet this deal appears to be different. Unlike much of the BlueCo recruitment that has come before it, Rogers was signed with Xabi Alonso’s backing, and the new manager has already outlined a clear intention for him.
Alonso spoke this week about Rogers’s adaptability, but his comments pointed towards a central role rather than a permanent place wide on the left. “I think that one of his best qualities is that he’s flexible,” Alonso said. He then added that Rogers is likely to operate in “that pocket position, close to the striker, close to the other 10,” while also noting that the player can work from the right or arrive from the left.
That possibility sits neatly with the assumption that Alonso may lean on a 3-4-2-1, the shape he used so effectively during Bayer Leverkusen’s unbeaten Bundesliga title run in 2023-24. In that system, Rogers could occupy the left-sided No. 10 role, with Cole Palmer alongside him and João Pedro ahead.
There are, however, other clues. Jamie Gittens, who has already felt the impact of tactical shifts in the past, sounded comfortable with the possibility of a wider role. “I think [Alonso’s style can suit him as a winger]. Last season was a 4-3-3 as well with two wingers which is always good, so let’s just see,” he said.
Alonso’s own recent history adds another layer. At Real Madrid last season, he used a 4-3-3 while trying to balance his squad, and this week he stressed that flexibility will remain central. “We will be flexible in our tactics, in our approaches, game plans,” he said. “For sure the ideas, the principles of what we want can be the same. But we have tried and we will try different ideas, mainly because these players have done it.
“So it’s not that I’m changing everything. It’s about updating, developing something that they have done with new concepts that each manager has. But the good thing is that many things that I like they have already done. So now it’s about changing or updating a few other things.”
The biggest tactical issue may be how Rogers and Palmer fit together. Alonso has made clear he wants them on the same side, saying: “I have a plan. I have an idea. I can see them linking really well.” Whether that means a shared central lane in a 3-4-2-1, or one of them drifting wide in a 4-3-3, will shape Chelsea’s attacking balance. A more adventurous option would place both behind a lone midfielder, a setup that may be reserved for weaker opponents.
Chelsea
Chelsea travel to Australia without Emegha, Quenda and Rogers
Chelsea have arrived in Australia without Emegha, Quenda and Rogers, but younger arrivals remain in the squad.
Chelsea have begun their preseason tour in Australia without three summer arrivals, with Emmanuel Emegha, Geovany Quenda and Morgan Rogers all missing from the travelling group.
Emegha and Quenda were both ruled out after minor injuries. Quenda’s absence should be brief, with Simon Johnson reporting that the winger is expected to join up with the squad for the second stage of the tour in Asia. Emegha, by contrast, is expected to spend about three weeks out and will not be back until after the squad returns.
Quenda’s £40 million ($53 million) move from Sporting CP had already been arranged in March 2025. His deal was agreed alongside Dário Essugo, who completed his move last summer.
Chelsea’s squad for the trip includes their goalkeepers Filip Jörgensen, Robert Sánchez, Ted Curd and Teddy Sharman-Lowe. The defensive group features Josh Acheampong, Tosin Adarabioyo, Aarón Anselmino, Levi Colwill, Calvin Diakite, Landon Emenalo, Wesley Fofana, Jorrel Hato, Marco Palestra, Mamadou Sarr and Tayo Subuloye. In midfield are Dário Essugo, Roméo Lavia, Madhi Nicoll-Jazuli, Reggie Walsh and Reggie Watson, while the forwards listed are Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens, Ryan Kavuma-McQueen, Omari Kellyman, Cole Palmer, João Pedro, Dastan Satpeyev and Estêvão.
Rogers is absent for a different reason. The club-record signing is being given time off after his Three Lions World Cup involvement this summer, with FIFA rules requiring players to have at least three weeks’ rest. With England involved until the third-place playoff on July 18, he is not expected at Chelsea’s training ground until early August.
That timeline makes the Aug. 8 friendly against AC Milan likely too soon for him. A first unofficial outing may instead come a week later against Real Sociedad.
Even with several names missing, Chelsea fans will still see some new arrivals in action. Marco Palestra is in the squad, as is Dastan Satpeyev, who does not turn 18 until Aug. 12. The change of manager has given the group a clean slate, and several younger players will hope this becomes their opening to the 2026-27 campaign.
Aston Villa
Chelsea move for MacPhee underlines the value of set-piece expertise
Chelsea are close to appointing Austin MacPhee, a move that strengthens their set-piece department ahead of 2026-27.
Chelsea are reportedly closing in on the appointment of Austin MacPhee, who is expected to join Xabi Alonso’s coaching setup before the 2026-27 season begins.
MacPhee is set to leave Aston Villa after five seasons and step into the set-piece coach role at Chelsea, taking over from Bernardo Cueva. Cueva will remain part of Alonso’s staff, although in a behind-the-scenes capacity.
The move highlights how far the game has shifted. Set-piece coaching is no longer a detail tucked away on a staff chart. In modern soccer, dead-ball situations now carry major weight, with some teams placing them alongside, or even above, open-play structure as a route to goals.
What once passed almost unnoticed is now treated as a core part of club planning. Specialists in this area can shape results, and Chelsea appear to have targeted one of the most respected names in that field.
MacPhee’s work at Aston Villa made the club one of the most dangerous set-piece sides in Europe. His methods were described as innovative, creative and lethal, giving Unai Emery’s attack an added threat from dead-ball situations.
The numbers support that reputation. Villa scored 29 set-piece goals last season, the joint-most in Europe’s top-five leagues alongside Arsenal. Chelsea, by comparison, scored 21.
In a sport where efficiency from set pieces can be decisive, Chelsea are strengthening a department that has become increasingly important across the game.
If MacPhee does arrive, it will be the third separate piece of business between Chelsea and Aston Villa during the summer transfer window. Earlier in the month, Chelsea made attacking midfielder Morgan Rogers the most expensive British player in history, paying a club-record $157.3 million (£117 million) to sign the England international from Villa.
